Year 11 - History
McCarthyism and the second Red Scare
America 1920–1973, Opportunity and inequality
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Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils undergo a period study that provides an unfolding narrative which tells a story about a period that shaped the world we live in today. They look at the key events, developments, people and stories that defined the chosen period.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain the influence and impact of the second Red Scare in the USA in the 1940s and 1950s.
Key Notes
- The USA experienced the second Red Scare during the 1940s and 1950s.
- Historical, international and domestic factors contributed to the second Red Scare.
- A wide range of Americans were investigated during hunts for communists.
- Joseph McCarthy became a leading anti-communist figure.
- McCarthyism involved accusing others of being communists with little proof.
Vocabulary To Learn
- ideology: an ideology is a set of beliefs which shapes a person's' understanding of society and the world
- communist: a communist is a person who believes that wealth should be shared equally between people
- paranoia: paranoia is a situation where people are are unreasonably or excessively scared of something
- blacklisted: a situation where people refuse to deal or interact with a group of others who they consider to be bad is known as being blacklisted
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The limited number of communists in the USA meant few people were affected by the Red Scare.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
The USA experienced the second Red Scare during the 1940s and 1950s. Historical, international and domestic factors contributed to the second Red Scare.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'ideology'
an ideology is a set of beliefs which shapes a person's' understanding of society and the world.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: The limited number of communists in the USA meant few people were affected by the Red Scare. Correction: Millions of Americans were investigated during the Red Scare and thousands lost their jobs and social standing due to suspicions about their political beliefs.
More Lessons In This Unit
- 1930s American popular culture Study Guide
- American people and the 'boom' in the 1920s Study Guide
- American recovery from the Great Depression Study Guide
- American society in the 1920s Study Guide
- Black Power and the Civil Rights Movement Study Guide
- Causes of the 'boom' Study Guide
- Change in Post-War America Study Guide
- Civil rights legislation in the 1960s Study Guide
- Direct action and the Civil Rights Movement Study Guide
- Effects of the Great Depression on American society Study Guide
- Losers of the 'boom' in 1920s America Study Guide
- Martin Luther King and peaceful protest Study Guide
- Opposition to the New Deal Study Guide
- Post-war American popular culture Study Guide
- President Hoover and the 1932 presidential election Study Guide
- Racial tension in early 20th century America Study Guide
- Roosevelt's New Deal Study Guide
- Segregation in the USA Study Guide
- Social and civil progress in the USA, c.1950-1973 Study Guide
- The American Dream in the 1940s and 1950s Study Guide
- The Great Depression Study Guide
- The New Frontier and Great Society Study Guide
- The Red Scare in 1920s America Study Guide
- The role of Henry Ford in the 'boom' Study Guide
- The US Feminist Movement in the 1960s and 1970s Study Guide
- The Wall Street Crash Study Guide
- Women and the 'boom' in 1920s America Study Guide
- World War Two and the US economy Study Guide
- World War Two and US society Study Guide
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